• A commanding 95 percent of professionals find Internet search engines an aid for conducting work, yet only 40 percent say they are very satisfied with the results
• Less than 25 percent of professionals are very confident that when using popular Internet search engines they've looked everywhere to find answers
• Businesses pay employees to hunt for information that can't be found and make decisions without all the facts.
• More than 60 percent disclosed they do not ask for help when lost, while 80 percent said they have never been trained to use the advanced search feature.

  Custom Training Information

• Why go beyond Google?
• What are Google and other search engines good for?
• Keys to finding and selecting resources beyond Google
• Online search tips: Searching on a topic - synonyms, variations; Applying filters - carefully - to increase precision
• Selected resources
• Improving Your Search IQ

• Brief review of how a bill becomes a law and the primary documents generated along the way
• Demonstration of Primary Sources: THOMAS, GPO Access, and more
• Review sources for Bill Summary and Status, Full Text of Bills, Congressional Record, Committee Information
• Review sources for Public Laws, Statutes at Large, US Code
• The importance of knowing a database's contents
• Tips on using specific terms, alternative terms, and applying filters
• When to use people resources

• Demonstration of Primary Sources and discussion of commercial resources
• Limitations of free Web resources for legal research
• Legal research vs. retrieving legal documents
  • Field searching, pearl searching, citation searching
• Review Primary legal documents; legal research terminology; the structure of a decision; how to cite
• Supreme Court documents and procedures
• Email alert services

• The regulatory process and corresponding documents
• Finding the best tools within the agencies
• Demonstration of Primary Sources: The Federal Register, the CFR and more, and how to cite
• Administrative Law: review documents agencies generate, as well as information agencies require and make public
• OMB

• How private research sources differ from government research sources
  • Value-added, specialized, editorial, copyright
• Tapping into information from think tanks, policy shops, trade associations, libraries, specialty press, state government
• Locating international organizations on the web and where to start your research

People Interviewing Tips

• Do your homework first
• Email vs phone
• Who can you call? What can you expect?
• Respecting your sources

• Research is a process
• Learn from the first search; try again
• Review results skeptically--remember Jason Blair
• Get a second source

Lunch and breaks scheduled as appropriate

All custom training is tailored for each organization and audience. Topics from this program can be combined with topics from our other programs and with topics from your existing training programs.
 

Sample agendas of different versions of this program tailored for previous custom clients are available.

• As part of 1-day research program "Tracking Legislation, Regulations and the Law" for a federal agency

See our Sample Agendas page for more.
 

Our selected client list includes clients who have purchased custom training, sent staff to our public programs and who have purchased our publications.
 

Usually requires 1 to 2 days.  

This program is usually held in Washington, DC.  It can be presented anywhere in the United States online.
 

The program fee includes pre-program development and design, materials for your internal marketing and promotion, all course materials, and faculty chosen for your topic and your audience at the time and location you choose.

Our custom program clients provide the classroom/meeting space, all audio visual equipment, any food and beverages, all registration functions, and travel arrangements for attendees. When the program is held outside the Washington, DC metro area, travel arrangements for faculty can be made by the client or by us. 

We can also provide meeting space, online venue, audio visual equipment, food and beverage, registration, and travel arrangements, though this affects program cost.
 

• Tracking and Monitoring Legislation 

• How to Research and Compile Legislative Histories

• How to Research Regulations and Rulemaking
   

FEIN: 54-1917701     DUNS: 04-273-5071      CAGE: 1K5S4
 

• Internet Resources handout from our Legal Research course

• Congressional Documents Online

• Legal Reference and Research Tools

• Legislation and Legislatures, including national and state and local links

• Legislative History Reference and Research Tools

• Online Regulatory Research Resources

• Quick DC Links - Washington Essentials

• Real World Research Skills, Second Edition

• Capitol Learning Audio Courses: Research Skills

• Phone: 202-678-1600

• Email: custom -at- TheCapitol.Net

• Complete our online custom program information request.